Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lighting device and a display device, each device having a light modulation element exhibiting a light-scattering property or a light-transmitting property.
Description of Related Art
Recently, a liquid crystal display has been rapidly improved in image quality or advanced in energy saving. In a proposed method, scotopic contrast is improved by partially modulating intensity of light from a backlight. In the method, principally, light emitting diodes (LEDs), which are used for a light source of a backlight, are partially driven to modulate illumination light in accordance with a display image. In addition, a large-size liquid crystal display has been increasingly demanded to be reduced in thickness as in a small-size liquid crystal display. Therefore, attention is being focused on an edge-light-type backlight, where a light source is disposed on an edge of a light guide plate, rather than a type where a cold cathode fluorescent lamp (CCFL) or LEDs is/are disposed directly under a liquid crystal panel. However, in the edge-light-type backlight, it is hard to achieve partial drive where light intensity of a light source is partially modulated.